from the types of COVID-19 costs and revenue losses Administration has been tracking and reporting to City Council. As we receive further clarity from the Province on the program requirements, Administration will be able to provide more clarity on how much of the City’s reported financial losses are deemed eligible for funding under the Safe Restart program.
In addition, based on the information contained in the letter from the Ministry of Transportation, it indicates that costs for this program are based on the period April 1, 2020 to March 31, 2021. If this is confirmed in the guidelines, once they are received, then being awarded Phase 2 funding under this program will assist in helping to mitigate COVID-19 operational budget pressures for the first quarter 2021 for Transit Windsor.
In turn this will reduce the total impact on the City’s overall 2021 operating budget pressures resulting from COVID-19.
Given the following factors there is a strong possibility that the $6M in immediate Phase 1 funding for transit which was provided based on ridership may not be sufficient and result in a need for Administration to seek a Phase 2 submission from the municipal transit pressures stream:
The $4.8M loss projected in June is likely to change based on new information;
Clarity on eligible costs and revenues losses for the Safe Restart program is pending:
Based on information received to date the transit stream considers costs out to March 31, 2021.
Phase 1: Immediate Funding for Municipal Transit Pressures
Under phase 1 the City of Windsor has been allocated $6,345,626 to support COVID-19 municipal transit operating costs and pressures. Administration is requesting City Council to delegate authority to the City Treasurer to sign the required acknowledgement which will allow the Province to process the payment of $6,345,626 to the City in September of this year.
Administration is also requesting delegated authority for the submission and /or signing of any related agreements and or reporting documents as will be required to secure and/or report on the use of this funding to the Province. A separate reserve fund is also being requested to be set up to track the receipt and use of this funding for reporting purposes, as required and outlined in the communication letter.
Phase 2: Funding for Additional Municipal Transit Pressures
The requirements for the municipal transit pressures stream in order to support an application to Phase 2 funding differ from the municipal operating pressures stream. This program does not just look at additional operational costs impacts due to COVID-19 and how they have been mitigated to form the funding justification for Phase 2. As noted in the letter from the Ministry of Transportation Phase 2 is also looking to confirm if a transit service is willing to explore things such as the expansion of purchasing collaborations with Metrolinx, as well as a review of the use of microtransit for lower volume routes. The City is in a good position to respond favourably to such